New Commonwealth of the Galaxy
The New Commonwealth of the Galaxy was/is/will be an Interstellar Government formed among numerous human worlds in the 73rd Solar Century. The New Commonwealth was intended as a successor to the former Commonwealth of the Galaxy (or Human Galactic Commonwealth) of the 30th to 55th Solar Centuries. It serves as a central Governing authority for member worlds in the Perseus Quadrant of the Milky Way Galaxy. As of the late 74th Solar Century, nearly 40,000,000,000 humans lived on planets that were members of the New Commonwealth of the Galaxy. History Around the year SY7000, the recently rediscovered colonies of the former Human Galactic Commonwealth began developing communication, diplomatic, and trading contacts among themselves. In SY7153 President Portia Carerra of the planet Republic invited the leaders of the fifty-seven surviving colonies that had been rediscovered by the Odyssey Project to meet at Republic. Using the spaceflight technology available at the time, it would have taken 37 years for the furthest worlds to reach Republic. Instead, only representatives of world already resident on Republic or capable of reaching Republic within five years met at the conference, the others participating via Tachyon Pulse Transceivers. The conference was held in SY7159 in Republic’s City of Governance and continued for five Republic years. The Government of Republic proposed a re-establishment of the Galactic Commonwealth, to be headquartered in the Republic System. The initial proposal was rejected, but the delegations did determine to establish a Council for coordination among the newly rediscovered worlds. Subsequently, Republic (joined by Bountiful) continued to push for a central authority to govern the disparate worlds of the Perseus Quadrant. They were opposed by Sapphire (joined by Wolf’s Head and several smaller worlds) who resisted integration into an interstellar government. In SY7164, the Conference voted to establish a dedicated headquarters. The Sapphire system offered up the planet Loki for the headquarters, and the motion for relocating to Loki was passed over the “No” votes of Republic and Independence, both of which sought to have the Galactic capital located on their own worlds. A Headquarters Complex was completed in SY7173 and served as the Council Seat for the next 35 years. Over that period of time, the number of rediscovered worlds grew to over a hundred. In SY7202, there was finally sufficient consular support to pass a Resolution for the Establishment of “New Galactic Commowealth; An Interstellar Body for Governance and Cooperation across Humanity.” Not all of the human worlds voted to join the New Commonwealth. Only nine of 53 worlds represented at Loki were among the founding members: · Boon · Bountiful · Denali · Emeishan · Independence · Longueil · Rainier III · Republic · Tau Matawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu In the next year, eight more worlds joined the New Commonwealth. Some other worlds chose to form a rival alliance that called itself the “Free Worlds Affiliation.” Most of the worlds in the Perseus Quadrant declined to join either organization. Member Worlds as of SY7380 included the following planets: In SY7203, the New Galactic Commonwealth ratified its Interstellar Treaty for the Governance of the Commonwealth (ITGC), which laid out both the areas of New Galactic Commonwealth authority and its structure for governance. Major Worlds Under the Governing Articles of the Commonwealth, major worlds (sometimes called primary worlds) are planets with more than 1 billion human inhabitants. Although their delegations to the Galactic Parliament are the same size as those of other worlds, their voting weight is disproportionate. Under the Governing Articles, the total weight of their delegations votes are equal to their proportion of the total population of the Commonwealth or 60%, whichever is smaller. This does not apply to all issues before Parliament; all votes are equal on issues such as budgets and the admission of new worlds, for example. · Bountiful · Republic · Independence · Denali · Longueil Associate Worlds Worlds with less than one billion inhabitants are designated ‘Associate Worlds.’ These worlds participate in Parliament according to a complicated formula laid out in the Commonwealth Governing Statutes. The total weight of their delegation’s votes are equal to their proportion of the total population of the Commonwealth or 40%, whichever is larger. This does not apply to all issues before Parliament; all votes are equal on issues such as budgets and the admission of new worlds, for example. They are also guaranteed to hold at least 4 of the seats on the Executive Council and the Ministerial Lead of one-third of Commonwealth Departments, Galactic Parliament Each Commonwealth World sends twelve Delegate Ambassadors to the Commonwealth Interstellar Parliament on the Chapultepec (later Chapterhouse) Starlock. These must be elected according to the democratic requirements embedded in the 270 Precepts. The Parliament has the power to agree to or reject laws proposed by the Executive Council. Commonwealth Galactic Council Thirteen Delegate Ambassadors chosen by the Parliament exercise executive authority over the Ten Commonwealth Departments, each with individual authority over his or her respective department with the acting title of Minister. The other three are designated President, Prime Minister, and Vice Premier and act as the heads of the Commonwealth Government. The President’s post is largely symbolic, but the Prime Minister (or his assigned delegate usually the Vice Premier) presides over the Parliament. In addition, the Commonwealth Advisory Council works to lead the Parliament by submitting bills for consideration and by voting on bills in Full Parliament with the other members. Commonwealth Departments The Commonwealth has Ten Major Operating Departments that were headquartered on the Chapultepec Starlock. Each of these Departments manages activities within the authority of the New Galactic Commonwealth. Within each department are Directorates for the administration of different aspects of the overall Department mission. For example, the Department for Progress and Advancement of Worlds oversees 47 Directorates such as the Directorate for Statistical Data Collection and Analysis, the Directorate for Off-World Resource Development, the Directorate for Food and Nutrition, and so forth. · Commonwealth Department for Galactic Exploration – The DGE oversees exploration of the galactic frontier, surveys and assesses unexplored star system, and initializes contact with rediscovered human colonies. The DGE co-oversees the operation of the New Commonwealth Galactic Fleet and the operations of the Commonwealth Galactic Starliners that transport Commonwealth personnel on official business. * Commonwealth Department for Galactic Defense – The DGD is responsible for the military defense of Commonwealth worlds and shares oversight of the operation of the New Commonwealth Galactic Fleet and the operations of the Commonwealth Galactic Starliners that transport Commonwealth personnel on official business. · Commonwealth Department for Galactic Diplomacy and Interstellar Relations – The Diplomatic Arm of the New Republic, charged with maintaining relations with worlds outside the New Commonwealth, and encouraging worlds to join the Commonwealth. · Commonwealth Department for Progress and the Advancement of Worlds – This department is responsible for overseeing the sharing of technology and resources across the Commonwealth and for bringing less advanced worlds up to standards. · Commonwealth Department for Science, Medicine and Technology– Promotes the advancement of technology for the betterment of humankind, and regulates new technology to ensure it is used ethically. · Commonwealth Department for Law, Justice and Human Rights – This, the most powerful of the nine departments, overseas the implementation of the Governing Principles across member worlds, adjudicates legal disputes, investigates violations of Commonwealth law, and advises the Parliament in the crafting of new laws. · Commonwealth Department for Culture and the Arts – Promotes the exchange of ideas across member and non-member worlds, encourages the development of arts, music, fiction, and philosophy through its grant programs. · Commonwealth Department for Governmental Operations – Operates the New Commonwealth Government, determines taxation rates, sets internal policies, and maintains standards of public integrity. · Commonwealth Department for Interstellar Conflict Resolution – Mediates conflicts among member worlds within the New Commonwealth. · Commonwealth Department for Interstellar Regulation and Commerce – Develops and regulates trade and commerce among the New Commonwealth worlds, and with worlds outside the Commonwealth. Companies wishing to do business with the New Commonwealth must secure licenses through this Department. Locus of Governance The founding documents were signed on the planet Loki, and the original provisional Government was established in Tower 1 of the Inter-World Diplomatic Complex in what is now the city of Pandemonium. In SY7208, the Commonwealth Supreme Council voted to vacate Loki and relocate to the Chapultepec Starlock. A dedicated Government Complex was constructed as the City of the Commonwealth on Republic, but it was never used. After a vote in the Commonwealth Galactic Council in 7256, the Government of the Commonwealth was removed to the Chapultepec Starlock. As of Solar Year 7380, the Starlock housed 200,000 personnel directly employed by the Government of the Commonwealth and an additional 20,000 representing non-Commonwealth worlds and business entities. The Chapultepec Starlock was destroyed during the Aurelian Assault of SY7384. (Book 12 – Earth) and the entire New Commonwealth Government wiped out. An interim Government Center was established at Chapterhouse Starlock and the Government was relocated beginning in SY7388. Chapterhouse Starlock fended off several attacks during the Caelum-Perseus war. Because of the security problems of running an interstellar Government from an operational space station, in 7448, the Galactic Parliament decided that the Commonwealth Government should develop a secondary capital on an uninhabited planet (failed colony site) in the Perseus Sector called Ur. Construction of the new capital city (Persepolis) began in SY7456. By treaty, Ur was declared a neutral planet. The Free Worlds constructed a city there as well, as did the New Pegasi Imperium (the successor to the Caelian Imperium). In addition to maintaining ambassadorial outposts on all member worlds and many non-member worlds, the Commonwealth maintains a very large ambassadorial complex in the City of Pandemonium on Loki, which serves as the primary interface between the Commonwealth and its counterpart, the Free Worlds Affiliation. Separate worlds of the FWA also maintain diplomatic missions on Starlock Chapterhouse. The 270 Precepts Members of the Commonwealth must agree to abide by the Interstellar Treaty for the Governance of the Commonwealth (ITGC); a compendium of 270 Principles and Conditions, in theory. These Principles cover a range of issues including Human Rights, tax policy, interstellar commerce, mediation and arbitration among members, diplomatic protocols, treatment of minority populations and other nitty details. Conditions generally address exceptions, special cases, and non-compulsory advisory areas. Major subject areas of the 270 Precepts include: * Principle 1: Definitions of Humanity/Personhood (1 Precept) * Principles 2-5: Definitions of Life, Sentient Life, and Life Forms (4 Precepts) * Principles 6-18: Democracy and Political Representation of Subject Beings (13 Precepts) * Principles 18-35: Societal Obligations Toward Subject Individuals (18 Precepts) * Principles 36-44: Societal Obligations Toward Demographically, Culturally, and Socially Distinct Groups of Persons (9 precepts) * Principle 45-66: Required Legal Structures (22 Precepts) * Principles 67-70: Protection of Planetary Biospheres and Ecological Systems (14 Precepts) * Principles 71: Primacy of Commonwealth Law (1 Precept) * Principles 72-79: Interstellar Travel, Relations and Interactions (8 Precepts) * Principles 80-99 Guarantees of the Rights of Persons (20 Precepts) * Principles 100-111: Economic Standards (12 precepts) * Principles 112-183 Taxation Standards and Fiscal Requirements (75 precepts) * Principles 184-196: Treatment of Persons Under Commonwealth Law (13 precepts) * Principles 197-200: Military and Exploratory Cooperation (4 Precepts) * Principles 201-215: Resource Management (15 Precepts) * Principles 216-270: Procedural and Institutional Protocols (55 Precepts) * Counter-Principle 1 – Permissible Exceptions * Counter-Principle 2 – Remediation of Conflicts with Commonwealth Principles * Counter-Principle 3 – Treatment of Worlds with Multiple Sovereign Political Entities * Counter-Principle 4 – Non-Governmental and Extra-Democratic Institutions * Counter-Principle 5 – Sentient Non-Human Species, Technology, and Entities * Counter-Principle 6 – Inviolable Conditions * Counter-Principle 7 – Protocol for Integration of New Worlds * Counter-Principle 8 – Conditions of Non-Enforceability In practice, no world is 100% compliant with all 270 regulations and their associated subsections, interpretations, and explanations. The total document comprises over 8,000,000 words. Enforcement of the 270 Precepts is the responsibility of the Commonwealth Department for Law, Justice and Human Rights. Contemporary Interstellar Organizations · The Free Worlds Affiliation/Free Worlds Alliance ''' · '''The Bellarian Nation ' · '''The Caelum Empire/ Imperium of New Pegasi ' · The Mighty and Invincible Kingdoms of the Lynx '' Category:Background